1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roulette apparatus allowing a ball to roll thereon and having a plurality of ball reception members separated from one another and for receiving the rolling ball at predetermined timing, and relates to a roulette gaming machine that performs a game in which a ball is rolled on the roulette wheel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a so-called medal game such as a roulette gaming machine using a roulette wheel, medals are used as game media. The medal game is a game in which a player purchases or borrows a plurality of medals in a medal borrowing machine, and the medals are inserted into a medal insertion slot of the game machine to start a game. When a player wins the game, a predetermined number of medals are paid out. Thus, a player who has acquired a large number of medals can enjoy games continuously without purchasing or borrowing new medals.
Here, particularly in the roulette gaming machine, the player selects one of symbols (or numbers) disposed on the roulette wheel. Then, the roulette wheel rotates, and a ball thrown therein rolls on the roulette wheel. When the rotation of the roulette wheel becomes so weak that the ball is received and held in one of ball reception members (grooves) in the roulette wheel, it is determined whether the symbol (number) selected by the player matches (is placed on) the symbol (number) where the ball is received, or not. When it is concluded that the ball is received and held in the reception portion with the same symbol (win), medals are paid out to the player at a predetermined payout rate.
In the related art, a roulette wheel for use in such a roulette gaming machine is required to have a rolling region where a ball rolls, and ball reception members which are separated in accordance with symbols (numbers) and in one of which the ball rolling in the rolling region will be finally received. For example, JP-A-8-229191 discloses a roulette wheel formed out of a fixed wheel which is not rotatable relatively to a body, and a rotatable wheel which is rotatable relatively to the fixed wheel. The rotatable wheel to be rotated by a motor provided in the body is provided with a large number of concave ball reception members. Numbers “1” to “8” corresponding to prize numbers and numbers “0” different from the prize numbers are provided equally on the ball reception members respectively.
In the related art, the roulette gaming machine has a ball recovery mechanism for once recovering the ball from the roulette wheel. The ball used in the last game and recovered thus is launched onto the roulette wheel. The ball once recovered by the ball recovery mechanism is always thrown in one and the same state with respect to the roulette wheel. For example, JP-A-8-229191 discloses a roulette gaming machine as follows. That is, ball pass holes are formed in ball reception members on a rotatable wheel respectively, while a flange for closing the ball pass holes is formed on a fixed wheel. A notch portion is formed in a part of the flange. An opening/closing plate for opening/closing the notch portion in accordance with drive of a solenoid is provided in the notch portion. The notch portion is opened to recover the ball. Thus, the ball is dropped from the wheel without providing any mechanism to lift up the rotatable wheel, so that a bucket can be miniaturized.
In the related art, only one gaming mode is provided in a roulette apparatus for performing a lottery in the aforementioned roulette gaming machine. That is, as disclosed in JP-A-8-229191, an operation in which a ball rotates on a roulette wheel for a predetermined time and is received in one of ball reception members is merely repeated. Further, in recent years, there is a tendency to reduce movable portions as much as possible for the sake of saving of the cost, easiness of maintenance, and so on. For example, there is a roulette apparatus in which gaming is performed without rotating a roulette wheel but with rotating only a ball.